Bracelet, especially for a watch

ABSTRACT

A bracelet, primarily for attachment to watches, comprises a pair of apertured metallic strips which may or may not be hinged together, each strip having one or more flexible bands of metal, plastic or fabric threaded through the apertures. The strips are fastened together by a fastening device connecting the ends of the flexible bands. The bands may have decorative designs thereon and may be of circular or oval shape. The apertures may be rectangular.

PATENTED SEP 71971 3605mm INVE'NTOR JA c Q 055 FEb'HL/C/K BY g ATTORNEYO United States Patent [m 3,603,493

[72] Inventor Jacques Frohlich. 5 References Cited Geneva Switzerland Epp No' 849'430 UNIT D STATES PATENTS [22' Filed Aug 12,1969 723,9613/1903 Whitt1esey..... 2/338 Paented s p 7, Roy .1 173] AssigneeEtablissements lndustriels Pierre A. 2986313 5/1961 Swecker' 224/4 D b n& Ci FOREIGN PATENTS Geneva, swilul'lafld 18,537 6/1914 England 224/4[32] Pnonty Aug. 23, 1968 68,690 4/1915 Switzerland 224/4 33 l PrimaryExaminerGerald M. Forlenza Assistant ExaminerJerold M. ForsbergAttorneys-Emory L. Groff and Emory L. Groff, Jr.

. ABSTRACT: A bracelet, primarily for attachment to watches, [54]BRAQELETESIECMLLY FOR A WATCH comprises a pair of apertured metallicstrips which may or 8 CIIIIIIS, 2 Drawing Figs.

may not be hinged together, each strip having one or more [52] US. Cl224/4 D, flexible bands of metal, plastic or fabric threaded through the224/4 J apertures. The strips are fastened together by a fastening [51]Int. Cl A44c 5/00 device connecting the ends of the flexible bands. Thebands Field of Search. 224/4.8, may have decorative designs thereon andmay be of circular or oval shape. The apertures may be rectangular.

BRACELET, ESPECIALLY FOR A WATCH The present invention relates to abracket, especially for a watch, comprising perforated metallic strips,intended to be connected to one another.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improvedbracelet enabling the decorative design to be inexpensively and readilyreplaced or changed.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved bracelet whichis simple to manufacture and therefore of low cost.

Other objects and advantages of the bracelet according to the inventionwill be apparent emerge from the following description.

According to the invention there is provided a bracelet, especially fora watch, comprising apertured metallic strips, each intended to beconnected at one end to related lugs or posts of the watchcase andconnected at their opposite ends to one another, each strip including atleast one flexible band engaged in the apertures thereof, and afastening device for uniting the free ends of said flexible bands.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood a preferredembodiment of a bracelet according to the invention is described belowpurely by way of illustrative but nonlimiting example, with reference tothe accompanying diagrammatic drawing, in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of the and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal crosssection of the embodiment of FIG. 11.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a watch is provided with a braceletcomprising two metallic strips 1 and 2 pierced by a large number ofrectangular openings 4, close to one another, in order to enable theinterlacing of a flexible band 3 which thus provides a decorativepattern on the metallic strips 1 and 2. These flexible bands may betapes, braids or ribbons, of woven fabric, of plastics material, or evenof strip steel or metallic braid bearing any sort of decorative design.

One end of each band 3 extends beyond the end of the correspondingmetallic strip to carry the fastening device 5, or the part of theribbon having holes 6 respectively. As shown in H6. 2, the other end ofeach band 3 is looped around that portion of the strips 1 and 2 disposedbetween the first two openings l in the end of the strip adjacent thewatchcase to provide an anchor point for the band.

The large number of openings 4 gives the user the possibility of varyingthe interlacings of the bands 3 according to his particular taste. Inmodifying the interlacing, it is also possible to adjust the length ofthe one or more bands extending beyond aforesaid embodiment;

the related metallic strip.

These bands are inexpensive and easy to replace when wear necessitatesit or if the user desires to change the decorative design.

A great advantage of this bracelet consists in that the two metallicstrips may be identical. This enables simplification of manufacture andthereby reduction in the cost thereof.

It is quite obvious that the openings of the metallic strips need notnecessarily be of rectangular shape but can be of any suitable shape.

The flexible band can also be made so as to have a circular or ovalsection and to be formed, for example, of braid.

Iclaim:

ii. In a watch bracelet for attachment to a watchcase, said watchcaseincluding attaching posts on opposite sides thereof, the combination ofat least two metallic members each provided at one end with means forfastening said metallic members to a related one of said posts, eachmetallic member being substantially semicircular and together with thewatchcase substantially encircling the wrist of the wearer at least twoflexible members each provided at one end with means for adjustably andreleasably fastening said flexible members together, the metallicmembers each provided with at least two apertures spaced lengthwisealonglsaid metallic members and at least one section of each said exiblemembers being drawn successively through at least two apertures of eachmetallic member respectively to thereby secure each band to said relatedmetallic member.

2. In a watch bracelet as claimed in claim 1, wherein metallic membersare metallic strips.

3. In a watch bracelet as claimed in claim ll, wherein apertures arerectangular.

4. In a watch bracelet as claimed in claim 1, wherein flexible membersare made of fabric.

5. In a watch bracelet as claimed in claim I, wherein flexible membersare made of plastic material.

6. In a watch bracelet as claimed in claim 11, wherein flexible membersare made of metallic braid.

7. In a watch bracelet as claimed in claim I, wherein flexible membersare made of metallic tape.

8. In a watch bracelet as claimed in claim 1, wherein each metallicmember includes a series of lengthwise adjacent apertures, each flexiblemember being inserted into at least part of said apertures alternatelyfront to back and back to front of one of the metallic membersrespectively and thus alternately overlapping and underlapping adjacentsections thereof while being secured respectively to one ofsaid metallicmembers adjustably in a lengthwise direction.

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1. In a watch bracelet for attachment to a watchcase, said watchcaseincluding attaching posts on opposite sides thereof, the combination ofat least two metallic members each provided at one end with means forfastening said metallic members to a related one of said posts, eachmetallic member being substantially semicircular and together with thewatchcase substantially encircling the wrist of the wearer at least twoflexible members each provided at one end with means for adjustably andreleasably fastening said flexible members together, the metallicmembers each provided with at least two apertures spaced lengthwisealong said metallic members and at least one section of each saidflexible members being drawn successively through at least two aperturesof each metallic member respectively to thereby secure each band to saidrelated metallic member.
 2. In a watch bracelet as claimed in claim 1,wherein said metallic members are metallic strips.
 3. In a watchbracelet as claimed in claim 1, wherein said apertures are rectangular.4. In a watch bracelet as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flexiblemembers are made of fabric.
 5. In a watch bracelet as claimed in claim1, wherein said flexible members are made of plastic material.
 6. In awatch bracelet as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flexible members aremade of metallic braid.
 7. In a watch bracelet as claimed in claim 1,wherein said flexible members are made of metallic tape.
 8. In a watchbracelet as claimed in claim 1, wherein each metallic member includes aseries of lengthwise adjacent apertures, each flexible member beinginserted into at least part of said apertures alternately front to backand back to front of one of the metallic members respectively and thusalternately overlapping and underlapping adjacent sections thereof whilebeing secured respectively to one of said metallic members adjustably ina lengthwise direction.